Press Release National
Press Release
Reproductive Freedom for All Announces New Director of Michigan Campaigns, Shanay Watson-Whittaker
Detroit, MI — Today, Reproductive Freedom For All announced its new director of Michigan campaigns, Shanay Watson-Whittaker. In her new leadership role, Watson-Whittaker will be engaging voters across the Midwest region, including our more than 125,000 members in Michigan.
Watson-Whittaker has more than 10 years of experience working in Michigan politics. Most recently, she served as the director of strategic partnerships for Michigan Voices, the leading reproductive justice advocacy group in Michigan. Previously, she served as a deputy campaign manager for the successful Yes on Proposition 3 Campaign in Michigan, which was the first campaign after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade to establish state constitutional protections for reproductive freedom.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said:
“We are thrilled to have Shanay Watson-Whittaker joining our team and leading our work in Michigan as we ramp up our work in the state ahead of the 2024 election. The road to the White House and a national protection for abortion goes right through Michigan, and Shanay’s extensive background in reproductive freedom, community organizing, and coalition building will be vital to achieving both.”
Reproductive Freedom for All Director of Michigan Campaigns Shanay Watson-Whittaker said:
“The state of Michigan has shown exactly how powerful our voices and votes can be. We have elected reproductive freedom champions up and down the ballot, ensured our fundamental rights were protected by the state constitution, and continued to build protections for abortion and expanded access by passing the Reproductive Health Act. We have accomplished so much – and there is so much left to do. I am so proud to have been a part of that critical work, and I am thrilled to join the Reproductive Freedom for All team and keep the momentum going in Michigan as we head into a critical election year.”
Reproductive Freedom for All Michigan has had staff working on the ground to mobilize members in support of abortion rights and access since 2019. Reproductive Freedom for All Michigan is dedicated to advancing reproductive freedom through legislative, political, and community organizing alongside our members. We organize directly in communities, with door-to-door outreach, phone banking, online actions, and community events.
We are proud to have mobilized our members as Michigan took significant strides in the right for reproductive freedom in 2022 by electing a reproductive freedom majority in the state legislature, reelecting Gov. Whitmer and other champions, and approving the Proposal 3 ballot initiative. Prop 3 locked the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion and contraception into the state constitution. More recently, Reproductive Freedom for All Michigan and our on-the-ground partners worked alongside Democrats in the Michigan State House to pass the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which was signed into law in November.